How much does the Danvers library collect in fines each year?

With two months left in 2017, the library has collected $19,278 in fines — about $700 more than the five-year average.

Mary Byrne

The due date for your library book passes. And then, a few more days pass.

Before you know it, several weeks have gone by and that book you borrowed at no charge now has a small price attached to it.

It's an experience many of us are familiar with — some of us, more than others.

So as you can imagine, the Danvers library issues its fair share of overdue fines — some that get paid, others that don't. But how do fines collected by the library compare to the fines that simply never get paid? And where does this money end up?

Our curiosity was piqued a little over a month ago, when the Peabody Institute Library of Danvers posted on Facebook a lighthearted reminder that arcade tokens can't be accepted as payment for fines and fees.

In a recent interview, Acting Director Jennifer McGeorge said the amount of tokens turned in to the library wasn't "very high," but it presented an opportunity to remind people the library can't accept them as payment.

In the weeks since articles began to spread about the library's reminder, we started to wonder more about library fines. So, we looked into it.

Between 2012 and 2016, the library collected a total of $93,255, or roughly $18,600 in fines each year, according to records requested from the library. These fines, however, don't include money collected for lost materials.

With two months left in 2017, the library has collected $19,278 in fines — about $700 more than the five-year average.

Fines collected by the library go straight to the town, according to McGeorge.

The money collected from fines, which are categorized as one of multiple local receipts, become part of the general fund revenue for the town, according to Finance Director Travis Ahern. Ultimately, these funds help to offset the amount the town needs to raise for property taxes.

But what about fines that never get paid? Well, as far as they go, the trend is also increasing.

In fact, the number of patrons who had outstanding fines in 2016 is nearly double the amount of patrons in 2012 who had outstanding fines — from 557 in 2012, to 1,140 patrons in 2016.

The 557 patrons in 2012 racked up a bill of $1,523 in outstanding fines, compared to $4,611 in 2016 — a difference of $3,088.

Usually, the amount of fines issued goes in tandem with how much the library is circulating, McGeorge said. This might explain why both the paid and unpaid fines are trending upward, even if just slightly, as in the case of fines that have been collected.

"We're always trying to make [the circulation] bigger," she said. "We're always trying to make it bigger with new materials."

So far in 2017, the library is owed a total $5,588 in unpaid fines. While that's a bit more than in previous years, it's possible some of those fines will be paid back before the year ends in two months, according to McGeorge.

The increasing dollar amount in fines, paid and unpaid, is also likely due to the increase in DVDs that are circulated, which carry a higher overdue fine. The DVD circulation has been increasing, she said, and the library has been expanding its collection.

Overdue fines vary depending on the item, according to the library's website.

New fiction books, non-fiction books, older fiction books, audiobooks, music and magazines all have overdue fines of $.10 per day; videos and DVDS have overdue fines of $1 per day.

The library's maximum late fine per item is $5.

"We cap it at $5, because... if it's between the fines and the items, we'd rather get the materials," she said. "That's more important than charging an overdue fine."

McGeorge said the fines currently listed on the website have remained the same in her 14 years at the library.

Patrons owing $5 or more in fines, or have long overdue books, lose access to borrowing items from the library, according to the website.

There are some libraries that use collection agencies for overdue fines, McGeorge said. Others offer fine forgiveness with the donation of a canned good.

But McGeorge said the Danvers library likely wouldn't take the route of using a collection agency, and it hasn't recently offered such fine forgiveness programs.

More important than the money, she said, is getting the library's materials back.

"When a book goes missing, it's missing for everyone," she said. "Nobody gets a chance to borrow it again.